Poultry gizzard opener



A. P. CELILLO POULTRY GIZZARD OPENER Filed Oct. 6, 1955 Jan. I0, 1956 1-40 rwg INVENTOR. /VTHO/VY R CEL/L0 ATTORNEY United ,StatesN Patent 'O POULTRYGIZZARD OPENER Anthony P. Celillo, San Francisco, Calif. Application October 6, 1953, `Serial No. 384,409

6 Claims. (Cl. 17-11) This invention relates to new and useful improvements iu poultry gizzard opener.

It is common practice in dressing poultry to present to the consumer all of the edible organs of the poultry, in cluding the gizzard. However, the gizzard contains in its interior a lining sac which is entirely nedible and hence, in trimming poultry, it is necessary to remove the lining sac from the interior of the gizzard and preserve only the flesh surrounding the sac. One manifestation of the present invention provides a device whereby mechanical means is provided for performing the difficult and timeconsuming task of removal of the lining sac from the gizzard.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a de vice which will slit the edible esh of the gzzard without rupturing the lining sac, then spread apart the severed sides of the gizzard while pressing down from above on the sac thereby pushing the sac intact away from the surrounding flesh and separating the edible fromthe nedible portions of the organ.

The apparatus hereinafter described therefore provides means for slitting the gizzard at the precise location and at the required depth to sever the flesh below the sac without opening the sac and thereafter immediately to apply force to spread apart the severed edges of thegizzard and at the same time to push down on the gizzard from above, the combined elfort of which motions is to push the sac from the surrounding flesh so that it may drop into a receptacle whereas the edible flesh of the gizzard is separated and may be placed in a different receptacle.

The gizzard is an irregularly shaped organ which is the second stomach of poultry. At its widest point, which is termed herein the topV of the gizzard, it is approximately an inch and a quarter deep and about two inches long, it being understood that the exact dimensions of a gizzard depend upon the age of the fowl. An nedible lining sac is located inside the thick, fleshy top part of the gizzard very close to the top edge thereof, the lower edge of the sac being spaced well above the lower edge ofthe gizzard. At least one-half inch of flesh exists between the bottom of the sac and the bottom of the gizzard. There is an edible membrane surrounding the sac which is more intimately associated with the esh of the gizzard than with the sac and hence when the gizzard is rippedapart, as hereinafter described, the membrane tends to cleave to the liesh rather than to the sac thereby permitting the sac to drop out of engagement with the gizzard upon success ful operation of the device hereinafter described.

In essence the operation of the device hereinafter described comprises forming a slit in the flesh of the gizzard from the bottom edge almost up to, but not into, the sac so that the sac remains intact. After the slit is made the entire length of the gizzard, the edges or lips of the slit are pulled apart while at the same time pressure is applied to the top of the gizzard and hence to the top of the sac. The combination of these two movements is to move the flesh of the gizzard away from `the sac and push the sac down out through the slit. Thus, the lining sac is removed ICC without rupturing the same and the nedible and edible portions of the gizzard are separated.

Essentially the same structure used to remove the lining sac from the gizzard may be employed in larger scale for splitting chickens and spreading them apart to facilitate the removal of the viscera in the processing of eviscerated poultry. In this adaptationof the invention, the poultry is placed in the machine in such mannerl that the carcass is sliced along the back-bone of the fowl providing access to the abdominal cavity. The carcass is then spread apart while pressure is applied at the breast-bone thereby providing access to the interior for processing.

Other objects of the present invention will become ap parent upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings in which similar char acters of reference represent corresponding parts in each of the several views.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective of the device.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical midsection thereof.

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section taken substantially along the line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section taken substantially along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

The present device is mounted on a horizontal, substantially rectangular base plate 11. The plate and the other portions of the apparatus hereinafter described are desirably formed of stainless steel or other metal which will not corrode and which can easily be cleaned at the end of the operation. Adjacent the front of the base plate 11 is a substantially rectangular aperture 12 the length of which is slightly greater than the length of the gizzard 9 and which is greater in its transverse dimension than in its longitudinal dimension. It is through this aperture that the lining sac 10 falls at the completion of the operation.

Immediately in front of the large aperture 12 is a central forwardly extending narrow slit 13. A knife blade 14 having its cutting edge 16 facing forwardly extends up from the bottom of plate il through the slit 13 adjacent aperture l2 and projects above the level of the base plate 11 about one-half inch, which is the thickness of the esh below the lining sac l0. ln order to facilitate sharpening of the knife edge, the knife 14 may be detachably connected to the base plate il by bending an offset 17 on the lower end of the knife transversely horizontally and attaching the same to the base plate by means of a screw 13.

Extending vertically up from the base plate 11 are vertical sides 21 which are spaced apart about the width of the gizzard and extend up from the base plate a distance about equal to the thickness of the gizz'ard. The knife blade 14 thus is positioned centrally between the sides 2l. A top 22 connects the sides from a location ,ahead of knife 14 and above and rearwardly beyond aperture 12. The elevation of top 22 is greater than the height of the gizzard in order to accommodate additional parts hereinafter set forth.

A horizontally movable pusher 25 having a transverse rearward face 27 which is formed with a slot 28 along its bottom edge at the center thereof is provided to push a gizzard 9 rearwardly between the sides: 21 so that it is sliced by the knife l! in the proper location. The slot 28 is positioned and dimensioned so that face 27 of pusher 26 may pass over the knife i4.

Various means may be employed to provide a horizontal rearward movement to the pusher, one such means bcing herein illustrated as comprising a vertical bracket 31 attached to base plate 11 to the upper end of which is pivotally mounted a handle 32. A pair of pivoted toggle levers 33a and b are joined together at one end by pin 34, the opposite end of one of the toggle levers 33h being piv otally attached to the bracket 31 adjacent its lower end and the other toggle lever 33a being pivotally attached at its opposite end to the handle 32. The pin .34 which passes through the ends of the toggle levers 33a and b together also passes through to the front end of actuating lever 36 the rearward end of which is pivotally connected by pin 37 to inward offsets 38 at the' rearward end of Vthe pusher 26. Thus,'as` the handle 32 is depressed, the pusher member 26 is moved rearwardly. Depression of handle 32 may be accomplished by other means. The gizzard 9 placed behind the pusher 26 is pushed overI the knife'V 14 which slits upwardly from the bottom edge 'of the giZzard 9 to aline slightly below the sac il). Spring 41 beneath plate 11 is fixed at one end to plate il and at its opposite end to pin 42 on pusher 26Y which extends down through slot- 13. Spring 41 thus functions to retract pusher 26 after the gizzard has been slit.

Immediately rearwardly of knife 3.4 and abovepthe aperture 12 in the base plate 11 a pair of wings 46 as positioned.A The wings 46 have a length equal to the length of the aperture I2 which is in turn slightly greater than the' length of a giz'zardand are irregular in shape having vertically extending sides 47 which' are approxi'- mately as high as the side members 21 over the aperture 12 and of a length slightly less than the length of aperture 12. Sides 21 are cut away as in licated by reference numeral f5 to permit inward and outward movement of :ings 46. Extending inwardly from the upper edges of sides 45' are top members 49' which also serve as cam followers. Extending inwardly from the bottoml edges of the sides 47' are botto'rnmernbers 5l', the inner abutting edges of which are bent upwardly in vertical spreaders 52 to a height equal to the height of the knife 14?. After a gizzard has been slit by knife 14,y the rearward movement of the gizzard causes the spreaders SZ to 'ht into the slit formed by the knife, the upper edges 54 being'bevelled to facilitate the function'. The wing members are hinged to the top 22 by means of hinges 56 attached' to the upper edges of side members 47.

Below the topr members 49Vof thel wings 46 is a ver tically moving plunger 61` and this plunger is connected to the lower end of vertical actuating arm 62 which projects up through the top 22 and is contined to vertical movement by means of guide 63, the inner extremitiesof the top portions 49 of the wings being formed with slots 64 for passage of the arm 6,2. The actuating member 62 is narrow at its lower end and then widens out a short distance *above its lower end to form cams 66 so lthat as the actuating arm 62 isv depressed it not only pushes the plunger 61 downwardly but also depresses the top members r49 or cam followers causing the wings 46 to pivot outwardly about the hinges 56.

The movement of the actuating arm 62 is occasioned by handle 67 to whichthe actuating arm 62 is slidably connec'ted, the handle being pivotally attachedv byk pin 68y to Vthe upper end of the vertical bracket 69, the lower end ofl which is attached to the base plate 11. HandleV 67 is depressed manually, or by other means', andV this' depresses plunger 61, puttingv pressure on the upper edge of the gizzard 9 above they lining-sac 10. At the saine time the widened cam portions 66 of the actuating lever 62 cause the wings 46 to pivot apart, which spreads the lips of the slit of the gizzar' apart and tends to rip the fleshfrom the lining sac at the same time that the sac itself is being depressed. The combination of the two movements is to force the sac out of the opening formed in the lowerA end of the. gizzard, the sac 10 dropping through the aperture 12v into a' container and4 the edible flesh of the gizzard being returned to normal position upon retraction of the wings 46. Springs 71 connected to handle 6.7 returns the handle 67, arm 62, plunger 6i, and wings 46 to normal position. The next gi'zzard in line as it' is moved rearward by pusher 26 pushes the trimmed gizzard rearwardly' and into a separate container.`

As has heretofore been stated, apparatus constructed essentially along the same lines as heretofore described 4 may be used in the processing of poultry. The machine is built large enough to accommodate whole'fowl and the fowl are placed between the sides 21 and moved forwardly by the pusher 26, the knife 14 cutting along the back-bone of the fowl and providing access to the interior. The

wings 46 are employed to pull the anks of the poultry' apart while the plunger 61 pushes downwardly against the breast of the fowl. This results in the viscera being exposed so that the samev may be removed conveniently.

Although I have described my invention in some detail by way of illustration and examplefor purposes of clarity f of understanding, it is understood that certain changes and modifications may be practiced within the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims. Y

What is claimed is:

l. A poultry trimming device for objects slit along one edge having internal inedible organs comprising a frame having at leastone open end, an opening in the bottom, a substantially closed top',- and sides formed with openings therein; a pair of wings hinged' to said frame, each said wing havingv a side t'ting within and substantially closing the opening in said frame side; hinged means hinging the top edge of said Wing side to the juncture of the frame top andv frame side, an inwardly extending bottom member at least partially enclosing the opening in said frame bottom extending inwardly along the bottom edge of said wing side, andv an upwardly extending spreader along the inner edgeV of said bottom arranged to fit within the slit in said objectand means' for moving said wings outwardly above saidVv hinged means to expose the interior of said object.

2. A trimming device according .to claim l which further comprises a plunger slidably mounted on said frame arrangedl to lit on' to'p of said object and means for depressing 'said plunger as' said wings are moved outwardly to ejecto'rgans from theA interior of said object.

3. A device' according to claim 1 which further cornprises an inwardly extending top member along the top edge" of each said side of saidl wings, an actuating arm, a guide on said frame for said'arm for reciprocatory movement of said arm, a plunger on the lower end of said actuating arm below said topA members, a cam on said actuating arm arranged to engage said top members as said arm is depressed to move said wings outwardly upon downward movement of said arm',v said plunger ejecting organs from the' interior of said object` as' said wings widen said slit and expose saidorgans in` the interior of said object.

4. A poultry trimming device for objects having exter-` nal inediblev organs comprising a frame,` a base on said frame,-V sides on said frame extending forward on Asaid base; a knife supported by saidl frame projecting above said base betweensaid sides, a* pusher mounted on said frame/for rearwardl movementbetwe'en said sides to push said object rearwardly, said'l knife' forming a slit in said object as it is`v pushed rearwardly by saidv pusher, a pair of wings hinged to said' frame, each said wing having a side, hinge means on'the t'oprofl said side for connection to said frame an inwardly extending bottom member along the bottom edgesv of said' sideg'and an upwardly extending spreader along the inner edges of said bottom behind said knife arranged to fit withinl the slit in said object, and means" formoving said-wings outwardly' about said hinge means to expose'the interior ofsaid object.

5. A trimming device according Vto claim 4 which further comprises a plunger slidably mounted on said frame arranged to tit on' top of said object and means'for depressing said plunger as said wings are moved* outwardly to eject organs from the interior` ofv said object.

6'. A device according to claim 4 which further comprises an4 inwardly extending top member along the top dge'of eachsaid side of said wings, an actuating arm, a 'guide ori'said-` frame forsad" arm for reciprocatory movern'enf df said arm', a' plunger on' the lower end of said actuating armA` below saidr top members, a cam onsaid actuating arm arranged to engage said top members as said arm is depressed to move said wings outwardly upon downward movement of said arm, said plunger ejecting organs from the interior of saidobject as said wings widen said slit and expose said organs in the interior of said 5 object.

575,886 Harrison 1611.261897 10 6 Amon Apr. 6, 1937 Gaddini July 9, 1946 Hawk Dec. 7, 1948 Waters Nov. 28, 1950 Bddinger et al. Dec. 29, 1953 Brown et al May 4, 1954 

